


The Olive Branch

by Friendlylycanthrope



Series: Let's Talk About It [8]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon Divergent, F/F, Feelings get hurt, but it will be resolved soon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:16:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23985172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Friendlylycanthrope/pseuds/Friendlylycanthrope
Summary: Adora desperately wants to win the war, but she also feels just as strongly about gaining Catra's trust back, even if it means just as friends. She comes up with an idea that might be able to accomplish both, but it involves a lot of risks.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Series: Let's Talk About It [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714624
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	The Olive Branch

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't want to take a week to post a ton of just really short things, so I combined them all into a glued-together longer piece to update today. Let me know y'all's thoughts. 
> 
> Also, if you have not read the works in this series that come before this, please do, as those past events will relate to the events in this piece.

  
  


It had officially been three weeks since they were rescued from the jungle, and Catra hadn’t returned to Shadow Weaver’s cell once. She had no idea on how to even start confronting the dark witch. 

It didn’t help that she had no time to rest. If she appeared too dormant it would be blamed on her injuries, and the last thing she needed right now was to wind up under scrutiny or worse, in the infirmary. Things happened in the infirmary, screams late at night. Those that went in didn’t come back the same, if at all. 

Instead, she went through Shadow Weaver’s files. For how long she had served the horde as second-in-command, her note taking still resembled that of a scatter-brained sorceress rather than the efficient and military style reports that Catra was used to reading. It proved useless in her questions about herself and Adora. There were no answers about where they came from, or how she had chosen to condition them to her will. So, Catra returned to her duties. 

Attacking the rebellion now would be easy without She-Ra to protect them, even if all the princesses were allied now. But she couldn’t. After all, that would mean divulging information to Hordak about her failed mission to find the First Ones Tech from the lost city. Not only that, but it would break the truce that Scorpia had made with the rebel princess for their safety. 

She kept coming up with excuses like this for days when she sat up at night. She didn’t talk about what had happened and what she realized with anybody. With her minimal injuries and failed mission becoming clear, she needed to pull something to prove her worth to Hordak again. The Lord of the Horde needed to be constantly pleased or else he would dispose of his new toy, just as he had done with Shadow Weaver.

Catra snarled at the fact in her head as she walked through the corridors to the force captain chambers. Under her arm were more files and maps that she would study so she could have something to present to him in the morning. Even though Captains were not subject to bed checks, she was eager to be alone. 

Her ear flicked suddenly, attuned to a small sound behind her. The guard posted outside the hall that held all the force captain barracks was moving away from post, despite not having another guard relieve them of duty. Catra narrowed her eyes as she continued down to her own room, and the guard followed behind, almost silently. Almost, perhaps to the naked human ear, but not to Catra’s adept senses. It was probably an assassin, she thought. Hordak must have gotten impatient with her. Either that, or a coup for her position.

She stopped outside her door, and unsheathed her claws. There was a moment of silence while the guard stopped too, waiting for Catra to move.

In a blink, Catra dropped her papers and whirled on the guard, slamming them against the wall with her hand at their throat. Catra hissed at them as they struggled with the grasp. 

“Amateur,” She accused. “Who are you? Who sent you?” She punched the button to the door and it slid open, she threw the soldier in the room and onto the ground and shut the door behind her for privacy. But rather than fight, the soldier simply stood up calmly, raising their hands in defeat. Catra’s ears faced backwards in suspicion. The guard removed their helmet, and shook out their hair.

“Adora?! What are you doing here!” Catra hissed as her fur flattened down. “I should turn you in right now, idiot!”

“I had to come talk to you!” Adora defended urgently. 

“Look, if this is about what we talked about in the jungle, I told you already. This doesn’t change anything! Just because I’m not as mad at you as I was before doesn’t mean we aren’t still on opposite sides of a planetary war! How did you even get in here?”

Adora smirked coyly. 

“I was raised here, I know my way around. It wasn’t hard once I got the uniform.” She actually sounded slightly proud of herself for getting this far. For some reason, Catra felt her face warming under her fur at the sound of confidence in Adora’s voice.

“It doesn’t matter, you shouldn’t be here.” Catra said. 

“Catra, I just want to talk. We don’t have to fight.”

“Talk about what, exactly? I’m not telling you anything about the horde’s plans, if that’s what you’re thinking.”  _ Not that I have any plans at the moment _ She thought guiltily. But Adora shook her head.

“No, nothing to do with that. I need you to tell me more about my missing memories.” Adora said. Catra paused and looked confused. “Please.” She added. 

“So that’s why you’re here. To antagonize me.” She scoffed. 

“Ever since I found out that there are important things I’m missing, I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve been trying to make myself remember, but I just don’t know enough. But you were there. Please, Catra, I know it hurt you, but I need to know.” 

“And how can I trust you. How do you expect me to believe that this is even a good idea, to be meeting up at all? We’re on opposite sides of a war. Hell, I could make it all up and be pulling it all out of my ass for all you know.”

“I knew you would say that.” Adora resigned. She put down the helmet on Catra’s desk, then removed the armor that covered her forearm. Catra noticed a golden cuff with a familiar blue jewel over her arm. As Adora put her other hand over it, it glowed and changed shape to become the sword in an instant. Catra recoiled, ready for a fight. But, to her surprise, Adora held it out to her, handle first. She eyed the sword suspiciously as she looked back and forth between its wielder for a moment’s hesitation. 

“What are you doing.”

“Take it.”

“Are you stupid?”

“You did the same thing for me once, to help me and Glimmer escape. Are you?” She wasn’t expecting the amount of sass or authority in her voice. Catra’s tail swayed thoughtfully from side to side. When she continued to look distrustful, Adora sighed. “Look, I’m getting tired of being She-Ra lately, okay? Light Hope doesn’t take me seriously, and everyone expects me to forget my whole life just because of this stupid new identity that I never even asked for. It feels like I don’t have a choice in anything anymore. I need a break. You probably need some sort of breakthrough to show Hordak. It’s an act of good faith, okay? You know, under the condition that I will hopefully get it back later.”

Catra reached out slowly to take the sword, then snatched it and gave it a twirl as she scrutinized it. It was certainly the real thing, she wouldn’t have been able to transform it otherwise. Adora smiled, but it turned into a smirk. 

“And... this is not. Because I like you.” She added sarcastically. She leaned back against the desk and replaced the armor on her arm. Catra rolled her eyes, remembering the phrase she had told Adora when they rescued Glitter and Arrow not long ago. 

“You had better be sure about this.” Catra said in a low voice as she took a step out of reach from Adora.

“I thought that the rebellion would be different...” Adora said sadly. “But it’s just like the horde. I have a destiny to fulfill for them and I don’t get any say in it. Light Hope is just as bad as Shadow Weaver...” Catra didn’t know who Light Hope was, but assumed it was a dumb princess name. “I want to have a destiny that I can choose, not as She-Ra, but just, Adora. You were the only one who knew me as Adora before She-Ra, so that’s why I’m trusting the sword to you. Temporarily.” She rambled. “I can’t be She-Ra all the time. I just want some time to figure out, I guess whatever it is that me, Adora, wants.”

Catra started to use the sword to scratch her back, which she knew would annoy Adora, and it did. 

“Your cognitive dissonance in this matter is astounding. Maybe you should have thought about that before you ran off to be a princess.”

“I’ve come up with an idea, but I need your help.”

“You mean more than giving me, the top commander of the army of your enemy, Etheria’s most powerful weapon?”

“Borrow. And yes. I want us to work together, so we can take down Hordak.”

“ _ What _ ?” Catra sputtered. “That’s treason, I could be killed for that. He has ears everywhere, Adora.” She lowered her voice and glanced around the room, worried that the little Imp could be watching her now.

“Hear me out! If you kill Hordak and become leader, the horde could be better. No more useless wars against the princesses. And with you in power, you can finally get validation against everything Shadow Weaver ever told us. It’s beneficial to both of us.”

“And what makes you so sure that I won’t be just as evil, or worse even?”

“Because you aren’t a bad person, Catra. You never were.” Adora said, more softly. But Catra seemed offended at the idea. “Look, I’ve been trying to figure out what it is that motivates you ever since the crystal castle, before the battle of Bright Moon...” Catra gave her a look that begged her sternly to not dwell on that unpleasant history. “You don’t want to follow me around, right? You made that clear.” Sterner look, borderline contempt. But Adora was as always, oblivious to what was right in front of her when she latched onto an idea. “All I’m saying is, fine, prove it. Climb the ladder. Prove Shadow Weaver wrong, prove everyone wrong. I’m not here to hold you back anymore.”

“Is that a challenge? Are you giving me your blessing to go apeshit?” Catra said, offended. 

“I know you don’t need it.” Adora rolled her eyes. “I’m saying that we can work together to get what we both want in the long run: For me, it’s Hordak out of power and the war over. For you it’s, I’m assuming, Hordak out of power and you in his place? There’s no reason we can’t do both... I just want to do right by what I did... I want you to be happy.”

“The rebellion made you soft, Adora... But you might be onto something. Maybe you aren’t as dumb as you make everybody think you are.”

“That’s what I’m saying! I’m not just a dumb jock!” Adora exclaimed dramatically. “And if I am, I don’t care. It’s probably because Shadow Weaver gave me brain damage or something!”

For the first time in a long while, Catra actually chuckled. It felt good to loosen up enough to laugh again after so long being tense. 

“Alright. Let’s talk.”

“Can you tell me what I’m missing? I need to know.” 

“Adora, I...” Catra rubbed her neck and looked away at the wall. “I don’t know if I’m ready to get into that. Y’know?” Adora’s face turned down with sadness, but she nodded.

“Yeah no, I--I get it. It was tough.”

“We can work our way up to that.” She assured a bit nervously. “I haven’t forgotten what you said before...”

Right. Adora had confessed that she had feelings for her. It was still true, but Adora thought that Catra wouldn’t care about her confession since apparently, she had done so before. And now on top of that, she had kissed Glimmer. The smart choice would be to not tell her about it, since it could only do more hurt to her, but then that would mean lying. And yet, there was still a tug in her gut that kept pulling her back to her oldest friend. 

They both stiffened and went quiet at the sound of passing footsteps and voices outside. They only breathed out once they heard a door closing, and blocked off any sound coming from them.

“I still need to think about all this.” Catra said, gesturing with the sword at the end. “I’ll get back to you. But for now, you need to get out of here. Before I change my mind.” She had tried to sound like it was a threat, but Adora saw what she really meant. They could start to rebuild the pieces of their broken relationship. She smiled as she replaced her helmet and left for her long walk back to Bright Moon.

  
  
  


***

  
  


The table of princesses erupted into uproar, but were silenced by a wave of Queen Angella’s hand.

“Calm down, everyone! I’m sure that Adora has a good explanation.” She said evenly, but still lowered her brow sternly at Adora. It made Adora much more nervous than she thought it would, and she squirmed in her seat.

“During the last time I went out to the crystal castle, Catra was in the woods. We fought and I got knocked out, she must have taken the sword then.” She explained. In truth, she still hadn’t been to the Crystal Castle since her fight with Light Hope. But that’s what she had said when she left for the Fright Zone, and she was sticking to it.

“How do you accidentally lose the most powerful of all weapons and technology in Etheria!” Frosta yelled.

“We weren’t even on a mission and you got your ass kicked?” Mermista asked incredulously.

“I didn’t think it was possible for your She-Ra form like that...” Spinnerella said. Adora became more and more nervous, but kept her back straight and her shoulders back even as sweat began to form on her forehead. Glimmer saw, and stood up from her seat, silencing the table again.

“Adora was alone without backup, not to mention she is still recovering from what happened in the Western Jungle. If it put pressure on her existing severe concussion  _ which is still healing _ , then yes, it is possible that even she could have been overpowered. None of you were there, so you don’t get to complain!” She yelled at the war assembly. “We survived plenty of battles before we had She-Ra, and we’ll just have to do so again!” 

The room remained quiet for a moment, in shock of Glimmer’s outburst as well as the news that there would be no She-Ra for the time being. It put an awkward silence between them all. 

“Let us adjourn today’s meeting. We can discuss more tomorrow.” Angella determined. People got up and grumbled around as they talked and left the room, some casting angry or pitying looks at Adora, which she took in shock as she remained at the table, unable to move her legs.

Her injuries were now no longer apparent, but her friends all insisted that head injuries like concussions can take longer to heal, and it was best not to risk worsening it. Glimmer remained, and walked over to put a hand on her shoulder, which startled Adora enough that she realized she had been holding her breathe, and suddenly she breathed out. She put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. Ever since she started to leave the Fright Zone she started to doubt if she had made the right choice, or if she would ever see the sword again. But she had already done it, and there was no going back on those promises that she made to Catra. It might be her only chance to get through to her. And now, those doubts were only intensified by the members of the alliance. 

“It’s okay, Adora. It isn’t your fault. This will all blow over eventually. And we can get the sword back.”

“I just... wish that they realized I had use besides being She-Ra.” She admitted. “But that’s all they see in me. It’s like I didn’t matter a bit before I picked up the sword.”

“That’s not true...” Glimmer tried to console her friend. Her beautiful, strong friend who she had kissed. Glimmer hadn’t stopped thinking about it. Adora looked up at her hopefully, her eyes becoming wet. It was almost like she was hiding something she was desperate to say, knowing how transparent Adora was. 

“Glimmer I need to tell you something.” She checked the doors and windows with a glance to make sure that they were alone. “I... gave Catra the sword.”

“What?” She sat down in her seat next to Adora’s and took her hands. “Why?”

“When we were in the jungle, we realized something.” And so, Adora ended up pouring her heart out to Glimmer, telling her everything she had learned and her reasons to start working with Catra. She still believed that she was a good person. She couldn’t hold it away from Glimmer, it felt honest and safe rather than feeling like she was confessing a crime and expecting punishment. Glimmer listened without interruption until she was done, with a few tears rolling down the blonde’s cheeks. 

“It might have been a bad decision, but I think it was the right thing to do.” Adora concluded. “I still think I can get through to her. We can end this war and fix our relationship. I just needed her to trust me again.”

“Oh, Adora...” Glimmer whispered. “This is... A lot.”

“I know, I’m sorry... I just couldn’t keep it from you.”

“Do you love her?”

The question caught Adora by surprise, and her eyebrows raised, before she looked away abashedly, her face red. 

“I--I don’t know. It... wasn’t a word that was ever really used in the Fright Zone. But... I think I do care a lot about her. I have for a long time.”

Glimmer retained her composure, but her heart sank to hear it. She had risked everything to kiss the girl she was crushing on, and she loved somebody else. Glimmer felt her shoulders drop and her body go weary as though from exhaustion and she had to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She felt Adora reach out and take her hand in both of hers. 

“Glimmer, please trust me on this. I care about Catra, but I never meant to betray you, or hurt you. Ever since the other night...”

Glimmer looked up with confusion. 

“It’s confusing, but I think it is possible to feel strongly about more than one person. And the other night, with the fireflies, I realized how close we were getting. I didn’t even recognize but I think I want to keep... getting closer with you?” She seemed nervous. 

“Adora, I think you were right when you said we should take things slow.” Glimmer said quietly. “I think I need some time to think all this through. Both for the sword and for feelings....” Glimmer got up and walked towards the door, but stopped to look back for one last remark. “I do trust you. And I won’t tell anyone what you told me. Let’s just. Try to figure things out, okay?”

  
  


THE MAKE-UP

  
  


Glimmer still wasn’t sure what to make of Adora’s decision two days later. It was tense, and as always in tense situations, Adora just tried to focus on the mission at hand, and dove head first into her work for the rebellion. Glimmer tried to do the same. Bow knew Glimmer for years, and couldn’t stand to see her put Adora on the back burner after she had gone to him for everything about her growing crush.

“Glimmer, talk to me.” He urged. “This isn’t about the sword is it?” He gasped and then added, “Or worse, was it about the kiss?”

“Everything is fine, Bow. Adora just... told me some things. And I need some time to think.”

“It was about the kiss wasn’t it! Is she not into you the same way? I don’t know what could have gone wrong! From what you described it was so perfect and magical!”

“Bow! Listen just...” Glimmer sighed and began to teleport up to her bed. “It’s complicated, mainly on her end. But it kind of complicates things for me. Especially because I think I do still really care about her...”

“Is this because she doesn’t know what dating or kissing is?” Bow called up. Glimmer groaned. 

“No, they have all that in the horde apparently. She told me on the way back that they were allowed to date as long as they didn’t ‘fraternize’ as she put it. She just never did any of that before because she was focused on her career.”

“So shouldn’t that simplify things for you? You were worried she wouldn’t know what dating is at all. I’m sure if you take it slow--”

“But I don’t know! If I can still trust her! Apparently I didn’t know her as well as I thought I did. We talked and... maybe eventually we can go forward but it’s going to be weird until then! It’s just... complicated!”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like you two should talk. I know there are secrets, and they aren’t yours to tell, but you have to try to talk to her if you can’t talk to me about it.”

Glimmer groaned into her pillow. 

“I’m going to sleep.” She eventually relented. It was late, and Bow retreated to his own room.

The next morning, Adora was in the training room with the other guards before the day moon rose, as usual. She was spotting for Lieutenant Clearwater, who was doing a weight set, when Renee approached them in her own workout gear. It was always quiet in the small hours of the morning, so it was just them. 

“How many is that, you at a set?” Renee asked. 

“Ergh.. twenty?” Clearwater grunted.

“Nope. Nineteen.” Adora corrected. “One more.”

The lieutenant heaved upwards one last time, and Adora guided the bar onto the hooks so she could sit up and rest.

“Alright, hit the showers.” Renee said with a pat on the back.

“Did you want a go?” Adora asked. But she shook her head.

“You haven’t done a set in ages ever since the jungle incident. I need to whip you back into shape.” 

Adora smiled and removed some of the weights from the bar down to her own standard, then got in position to lift.

“Hey, I tried to get down here. But Glimmer wouldn’t let me until I got that ‘cast’ thing off!” She brought the bar to her chest, and inhaled in preparation to lift. She soon began a slow rhythm, pumping the iron up and down almost effortlessly. 

“You two seem to be close lately...” Renee commented, making slight adjustments to Adora’s form to straighten out the bar. 

“Well... yeah. I learned some stuff recently... about how she feels...” She said with strain between lifts.

“What, that she likes you?” Renee had to laugh. “Congratulations, you are officially the last person to know.” Adora stopped and looked at Renee.

“What are you implying, General?”

“Everyone knows that she is crushing hard on you, except you apparently. I’ve known the princess all her life and let’s just say that seeing you almost die would have shook her to an early grave herself. Hey, get that left arm up, it’s slacking.”

“Well that’s the one that was broken.”

Adora pushed the weights into the air a few more times in silent thought, digesting the words. 

“I think I might like her back?”

“Is that a question?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never done this before!” Adora’s face turned red, but it wasn’t from the workout. Renee smiled. 

“I’m supposed to be a soldier! And now I don’t even have the sword. What good am I?”

Renee rolled her eyes. 

“I’m a general, but I’m still a mom and wife. Having people who care about you isn't a weakness (but that left shoulder sure is, it’s too slow) it helps make you stronger.”

Adora wasn’t focused on her posture at all, and she would regret that later. Her mind was swimming with thoughts of the kiss under the fireflies. 

“I think I might have hurt her...” Adora admit, freezing when she remembered that conversation, with the bar in the air and panic setting in behind her eyes. “I did something stupid without telling her... right after I almost died... God she probably hates me now.” As she spoke, Renee guided the bar back to the hooks, leaving Adora lying there, looking up at nothing. 

“Hello, were you even paying attention? She’s crazy about you! Now on your feet!” The last sentence was said with the authority of one speaking to a squadron of cadets, and Adora immediately obeyed, and stood at attention. “You like this girl? For serious?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Adora nodded. 

“Then go apologize!” Renee ordered with a smile. Adora grinned back, and saluted before darting out. 

“Oh Adora, one more thing.” She paused right before closing the door on her way out. “If you hurt Glimmer in any way? She-Ra or not, I  _ will _ kill you. I’ve been protecting her since she was born. If you hurt her, let’s just say that I can make it look like an accident. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Adora saluted. With a nod from Renee, she was dismissed.

Meanwhile, the day moon had risen part way above the horizon. Which meant Bow was back to bothering Glimmer about whatever was bothering her. And now they stood outside of Adora’s room, hesitating.

“If she wanted to talk, she would talk. Right?” Glimmer pleaded, still desperate to not have to confront Adora. It had the potential to get angry, as things always did with her mother, and she didn’t want that to happen.

“Maybe, or maybe she is thinking the same thing about you, waiting for you to bring it up.” Bow pointed out. He needed them to be getting along again, and soon, before their next mission. 

“I just don’t know what to say! What am I supposed to do, say that I’m crazy about her? There’s no way I can tell her!”

“Tell me what?” Glimmer and Bow found Adora standing behind them, sweating, and red faced. Glimmer yelped in surprise. 

“Adora! What are you doing?”

“I got up to do a quick five K run followed by a workout with the guards.” Adora panted. “I do every morning. Did you say you wanted to talk about something?”

Glimmer suddenly found the wall next to them very interesting, and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Oh wow, look at the time! I have to go.” Bow said, quickly walking around the corner. 

“Uh, not much. I just...”

“Glimmer, I need to apologize to you.”

“What?” She looked back at the blonde and found that the redness hadn’t faded from her jog here. She looked nervous. 

“I shouldn’t have made such a huge decision without talking to you. Especially after how bad things went in the jungle...I can be a little reckless sometimes... I still care about you, a lot, and I think I might even  _ like _ you... I should have never hurt you.”

She was going to keep rambling, but found herself wrapped in a hug from Glimmer.

“No wait I should apologize, Adora. I should have trusted you. I never thought about how maybe we did become a little reliant on She-Ra, but it won’t happen again. And I know things are complicated with how you feel about Catra, I just felt... jealous? I really like you too.”

“You do?” Glimmer pulled away and looked up at Adora.

“Yeah... I have for a while now. It’s not easy to forget.” The words rang too familiar to Adora, remembering her tension with Catra. “Do you think we could still give this a chance? We can go as slow as you need.”

Adora was dumbstruck with the princess in her arms, looking up at her pleadingly. She confirmed everything she had admitted to Renee, that she did feel strongly about Glimmer. There was a fire in her heart that was lit when she was in the room and cold without her. Glimmer was everything that was safe, and everything that was fierce. She didn’t know what to do with herself, she had never allowed herself to feel this way after all the training she got from Shadow Weaver, and now, she had the freedom to choose. And Adora chose to lean down and kiss Glimmer.

  
  


WHAT DO YOU WANT?

  
  


Since Adora was benched, she was able to spend more time with Glimmer and explore what their new relationship was. Glimmer said that they were girlfriends now, but didn’t publicize it too much, respecting Adora’s desire to go slow. Adora learned that she loved Glimmer. She loved being with her, spending time with her, gently kissing her soft lips. Glimmer felt like safety and comfort after a long hard day. But at the same time, she was a fiery, bubbly, gritty warrior who was always on her side. She found that she loved spending time with Glimmer, even if she wasn’t super big on touching or PDA (“yet” Glimmer mumbled once, thinking Adora couldn’t hear her). They still slept separately, until one of them got a nightmare and went to the other for comfort. She had never felt this kind of intimacy with another person before, and was living in a state of ecstasy in this new relationship. 

It was due to her concussion and injuries that Adora was benched from the front lines action for a while, even though Adora still knew it was because she didn’t have the sword. All the same, she hated being still, and insisted on learning everything she could about the world that existed beyond the Fright Zone. She spent time studying in the library, or occasionally visiting the provinces that were near the castle if Glimmer was there to guide her. 

Whenever it came to interacting with civilians, Adora seemed to become shy and anxious. She avoided speaking for fear of embarrassing herself, and kept herself guarded when people approached them. 

Fortunately, Glimmer knew just what to do. 

“What is this?” Adora eyed the offered kebab of meat and vegetables suspiciously, but her eyes widened and her mouth watered at the smell. 

“It’s a local dish here, you can eat it right off the stick.” Glimmer beamed. She sat down next to Adora on the wide stone edge of the fountain in the town square, and bit into her own stick. Adora followed suit, and seemed satisfied with the results of her continuing adventures in Bright Moon cuisine. 

“Catra would love this, it's so spicy.” She commented, hardly realizing what she had said. Catra always complained that ration bars were too bland, and wanted something with a more exciting palette. 

“Speaking of... have you heard from her at all?” Glimmer spoke quietly. Adora swallowed, then looked away in thought. 

“Well...no.” Adora said sadly. Her heart twisted in pain and guilt, hoping that one day Catra would reach out to her with an olive branch the same way Adora had done, taking a huge risk by giving up the sword. She worried if she would ever see it again. But Glimmer comforted her with a hand on her shoulder. 

“Well, remember why you did it.” She said soothingly. She was much more reassured in Adora’s decision as time went on, especially after the princesses started treating her differently when she lost the sword. “You wanted to figure out what it is you want, right? How is that going?”

Adora finished off the last piece of vegetable on her skewer and chewed for a moment while she quietly reflected. It was a moment longer before she spoke up. 

“In the horde, they always told us that we didn’t have a choice.” She started. “They said that the princesses make living a free, happy life impossible, and we wouldn’t be able to until we liberated Etheria from the rule of Princesses. So that’s what we all worked towards.”

Glimmer stayed silent, letting Adora finish her thoughts. Adora looked around the slow marketplace, looked at all the people happily traveling or talking or eating. Her eyes lingered on the sight of some kids playing a game with a hoop and sticks. Her face softened, and the corners of her mouth turned upwards slightly watching them, something that Glimmer was sure to catch. 

“I guess my goal for ending the war is a little selfish.” Adora continued, softly. “I want to be able to have that simple kind of life...not having to worry. Take up farming or something. Maybe even have a family. Travel the world. And just... enjoy all the simple joys and beauty of Etheria.” She looked up at the sky, where the day moon was beginning to set. “They kept so much from us, and sometimes I don;t think I’ll ever be able to catch up. But I want to try to. I think if I had a whole lifetime to learn new songs and see new animals and learn new things, I would. Just as a big F You to the horde, and Shadow Weaver. I want to see it all.”

She looked back at Glimmer with a shy smile. Glimmer’s heart picked up speed in her chest at the radiant goddess sitting before her. It wasn’t She-Ra that made Adora so great. It was Adora, and everything about her. 

“Are you going to finish that?” Adora asked, changing the subject as she rubbed the back of her neck. Glimmer snorted a laugh and handed it to her girlfriend.

“Too spicy for me.” Glimmer said as Adora devoured the remaining kebab. “But you have to pay for dessert, babe.” Adora stopped and looked at her quizzically.

“Babe?” She questioned as though hearing it for the first time. “What did you just call me?” Glimmer laughed and leaned in to Adora. 

“Babe! Like short for baby!” She explained happily through her embarrassment. But Adora had a look as she wondered if she should be offended. 

“Are you calling me a baby, is that an insult?” She smiled even though she was so confused, because she loved to see Glimmer like this. “I am nothing like a baby. I am tall and strong, and very independent.” She defended. Glimmer hid her reddening face in her hands. 

“No never mind, just forget it.” She giggled. “It was a stupid pet name,”

“Now you’re calling me a pet?” Adora said, her voice growing in faux offense, pretending that Glimmer was attacking her very honor. 

“Adoraaa!” Glimmer whined, shoving her girlfriend. This one was going to be tough to explain. She might have to pull in Bow on this one. 

There would be challenges. In their relationship, in the war, in everything. But Glimmer felt herself walk a little taller when she was doing it for Adora. She held her head a little higher when she was able to go to her arms at the end of the day. 

But the one challenge that she latched onto from Adora’s hope was,  _ start a family _ , was it possible that Glimmer would one day be in that picture? She couldn’t help but fantasize about it for the rest of the day, imagining all the possibilities, keeping her up late at night in her hanging bed, thinking about her and Adora in the future. She wondered what Adora pictured in their future. It made her nervous, to think of her starting a family. But she comforted herself with the fact that it couldn’t happen for years anyway. Besides, there was a war going on. 

What was really important was that Adora wanted to have a life that she chose, not a destiny to fight as a soldier. And Glimmer fully supported it. She herself had to be curious at how people lived in times without war... it had been going on since before she was ever born. Of course, it must be different in the case of royals. One day, somehow, she would end up taking the throne and becoming Queen of Bright Moon.

But, like all things running through her mind, that day was not today. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> subscribe for daily updates, and please please comment if you liked it.


End file.
